Orlando,
Florida-The
Florida Fish
and Wildlife
Conservation
Commission (FWC)
and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife
Service Office
of Law Enforcement
announced today
that Joshua Lee
Moores of Cocoa,
Matthew Ryan
Blake of Cocoa,
and Aaron Hagemeister
of St. Cloud,
each pled guilty
to one count
of violating,
and aiding and
abetting the
violation of
the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.
Each individual
was sentenced
to pay a $2,750
fine, placed
on probation
for three-and-a-half
years during
which they cannot
possess firearms,
and were charged
a $10 special
assessment fee.

On August 20,
2006, Moores,
Blake and Hagemeister
were allegedly
crow hunting
on a spoil island
located in the
Indian River,
north of the
528 bridge in
Brevard County.
According to
court records,
the three men
shot at and killed
non-game, migratory
birds including
three black vultures,
one turkey vulture,
two anhingas,
two grackles,
four gulls, and
one white ibis.
An FWC law enforcement
officer and a
Florida Department
of Environmental
Protection biologist
located, documented
and collected
the 13 dead birds.

"We are
pleased that
these three individuals
have been held
accountable for
this blatant
and senseless
violation of
the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act," said
Major Jack Daugherty,
law enforcement
commander for
the FWC's Northeast
Region.

This type of
Migratory Bird
Treaty Act violation
is class B misdemeanor
punishable by
up to a $15,000
fine, six months
in jail and up
to five years
probation.

"The USFWS
will not allow
the wanton and
illegal take
of migratory
birds regardless
of the type,
abundance or
popularity of
the species.
Only lawful migratory
and resident
game birds are
legal game," said
Resident Agent
in Charge Andrew
Aloise.

This case was
prosecuted by
the U.S. Attorney's
Office in the
Middle District
of Florida and
investigated
by officers from
the Florida Fish
and Wildlife
Conservation
Commission and
special agents
from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife
Service.